When I was an early teen I liked the noise, it helped me focus on something other than my own thoughts. Always had the music blasting on. As I grew up I started liking the silence much more, it was calming, peaceful. I like silence. Sometimes you should let the silence consume you. Ryan and I have been walking in silence for a long time now but the silence between us is not the same silence I like. It's awkward. And I hate it.
"Where are we going?" I ask Ryan, He's cycling slowly for my sake.
"You see we don't know each other. We were friends when we were barely 4.Then we never met. One day I joined the school. we became acquaintances. Then I left school. I mean you see the problem here?"
"What problem?" I ask
"That ALYSSA GREEN, we were never friends. We never got to know each other."
"Okay?" What is he trying to do?
He abruptly stops his bicycle in mid-track nearly bumping into an old lady.
"What I'm trying to say is we should get to know each other."
Now it's my time to laugh.
"What?" He asks looking at me laughing.
"If you think we should date then my answer is no," I say. Seriously what the heck? I don't want to be seen with this weirdo.
Now he's laughing. Okay, what. " I didn't mean dating. I meant.—-He moves his hands between us "we're going to spend the next 15-20 days together. So we should get to know each other."
"Wait." I stop him "not the next 15-20 days, nothing's confirmed that I'm going to come tomorrow also."
"Yeah okay. But on the positive side, IF you come we'll be spending 4-5 hours daily together and I don't want to spend it with some stranger. So the thing is daily we'll ask a few questions about each other. Okay?" He forwards his hand for a handshake
I eye it but don't handshake. "Cool." He looks offended but doesn't say anything.
"We're going to the library." He says.
"Why?" I'm happy to go there but why now?
"Lexi was talking about how you were going to spend the entire month between books so I thought Going to the library would make you feel comfortable also I need to talk to Ms.Rivers."
"Umm yeah okay." I shrug and start walking. I have no clue what we are going to do.
The rest of the walk is completed in complete silence. We enter the library and the bell chimes. I never really got the idea of placing a bell in the library.Cafe,Restaurant etc.etc. I get that, but the library? I never asked though.
"I hate this thing," Ryan says looking at the bell.
"Seriously me too," I say
Ryan's eyes scan around the library. Its a 2 storey building shaped in a circle. The ground floor has tables for people to read or do whatever they want to do while the first floor has books. Some rare books are found on the ground floor, like first copies etc.
"No sign of her." He says
"It was a waste of time." I say "cheers."
"No, we can wait for her."
"Here?" I don't really mind though.
"Yeah, c'mon." He says as he starts walking to the first floor.
I've been here a hundred times but every time I walk inside I'm fascinated. The only thing I'm thankful for in this town is for the library. It's dope.
We walk around and pick up books to read. Time passes by, after a long time Ryan starts talking.
"So what's your fav book?" He asks as he lays down his backpack and takes out his camera.
"What's the camera for?"
"The recording."
"Oh. I really don't like recording so don't record me."
"It's okay." He says as he places it between two books so that it faces us.
"Is it on?" I ask
"No, it's off."
"Okay." I think of lying to him and name some random novel as my favourite one. But now that we're going to spend time together I think of telling him the truth. Also, I don't mind talking to someone except Lexi for once.
" I don't have one," I say
"What-why?" He asks
"I've always been an avid reader, I don't think after reading so many books you can choose one favourite book. You read and you consume, so many things, so many places, flaws, traits, mannerisms. You consume the good, you consume the evil. Something from each book is always left inside you. Somewhere inside you, every character resides, small or big. And to someone who reads a lot of books, You my dear friend are just a hundred characters residing in one long string of cells." I feel like an 80-year-old after saying this.
There is a long pause until he speaks probably startled. "Wow, I surely need to spend more time with you."
I quietly thank his compliment. I'm not good at taking compliments so I ask him "what's yours?"
"Now that you have said that, I don't have one."
I shake my head "No Seriously ."
"Don't laugh."
"Won't."
"The Percy Jackson series." He says and covers his face in embarrassment.
"What?!"
"I know, stupid," he says
"NOOOOOOOOO," I SAY JUMPING. "I LOVVVEEEEE ITTTTTT." Lexi always says whenever I talk about something I like my eyes turn to a brighter and lighter shade of crisp brown hazel they get. I can surely say it's happening right now too.
"You do?" Now Ryan's the one jumping. He's smiling so hard all his crooked teeth are on display. I'm smiling even harder. I'm also sure he can see my yellow teeth. Before the judgements roll in, They're natural, The doctor told me. I don't have a mouth odour. I brush twice a day.
It's a heavenly feeling to find someone with the same taste in books as you.
"Why were you embarrassed?" I ask, to be in the PJO fandom is nothing to be embarrassed about. Rather something to be proud of.
"Because people I know of don't like it." He says shaking his head
"People are trash." I roll my eyes but smile. I'm so happy right now.
We straight-up dive into a conversation consisting of Annabeth, Percy, Leo, Jason, Piper, Hazel, Frank. I can't describe my mood right now.
The bell chimes bringing us back reality. We both look down together in hopes Ms.Rivers has arrived. But it is the complete opposite. A lanky woman in her late 50s or early 60s enters who looks a little dangerous with all her jewellery and outfit. She looks around and spots us "Didn't know you kids were here." Smiling she walks and sits in the counter where Ms.Rivers used to sit.
Puzzled I look at Ryan "What is happening?"
"I don't know." Ryan shrugs as he picks up his camera looks into it and says " Guess we're about to find out."
A/N: What do you think of the book so far? Also, What's your favourite book?💕